Tag Archives: Substance dependence

Enzymes and Contribution in Cancer Treatment

December 9, 2014

Enzymes for Cancer Treatment

enzymes-for-fighting-cancerCancer has managed to earn itself quite a reputation throughout the world as a major threat to everyone. This therefore warrants a keen understanding of the disease and how it works.

Cancer is formed through a breakdown in a variety of the normal cellular and immunity mechanisms in the body. Often, body components damaged by free radicals are built up within the cells in the body throughout life. Extreme oxidative stress resulting from factors such as body injury or diseases catalyze this process. This damage caused to body tissue initiates the release of chemical signals to arrest the situation, but in large amounts, the chemical signals eventually cause further damage to tissue.  This tissue damage cycle is responsible for the damage of DNA in the end.

As you might have known from raw biology, the DNA is responsible for a number of regulatory processes and mechanisms. If it can no longer perform this regulation function, it only means that the growth of cancer cannot be regulated any more. And given the inflammation or tissue damage already in place, the body immunity is likely to miscommunicate, mistaking the developing cancer cells for other damaged body tissue. This disrupted cellular communication gives cancer a window to thrive. Even more disadvantageous to the victim is the effects of the reactive species of oxygen whose effects on the natural cellular controls eventually prevent apoptosis of the developing cancer cells.

Cancer cells are also ‘smart’. They have adaptive characteristics that make them survive against the body immunity mechanisms. While enzymes are known for their digestive abilities in the body, the cancer tumor for instance produce a dense fibrin protein which not only help them stick around but also aid their protection against the possible digestion by the immune system. Enzymes in the bloodstream are capable of digesting and dissolving the fibrin coating on the cancer tumor. The enzymes would however have to be in large amounts. In addition, they would need to be enzymes with high amounts of nattokinase or protease or break down the thick fibrin.

Low Enzyme Levels And Cancer

Research suggests a rather close relationship between low levels of enzymes and the formation and proliferation of cancer tumor. The enzymes as already mentioned are capable of destroying the cancer tumor naturally. The body is programmed to have the foods taken in digested by the very enzymes that come into the gut with the food. This suggests that the digestive system is meant to process foods that are raw for this ideal set up to work out, since raw food comes with enzymes that aid the breakdown of that particular food right in the upper gut (stomach). Food usually stays there for about 30- 45 minutes.

If that were to be the case. It would mean that down the gut in the lower stomach and the duodenum, the pancreatic enzymes have a reduced work and a lot of them can be reserved and channeled into the bloodstream where they do the cleaning work and could help digest any existing cancer tumor in the bloodstream.

However, this is never the case as the foods we eat are processed: cooked or treated. These processes that food undergoes are responsible for killing of the enzymes. The food thus does not get predigested in upper stomach. The pancreas is therefore overworked as soon as the food gets to the lower stomach as it has to produce extra enzymes for braking down the food. In the process, the food is often incompletely digested.

This partial digestion of the food ends up with some undigested food into the bloodstream where they are treated as foreign and toxic to the body system. Being viewed in that lens by the body’s immunity, the system that already has much to do, has to put up with even extra work of fighting the undigested food being considered toxic in the bloodstream.

The overworked pancreas loses its ability to produce sustainable amount of enzymes in the long run resulting with an individual with low enzyme levels. The moment all the essential enzymes exist in low amounts, the body loses its ability to naturally fight and destroy cancerous cells.

enzymes-for-fighting-cancer

How to Boost the Enzymes Level

In that condition, you must make use of enzyme supplements. A number of them are recommended for use. The most recommended one being the PapayaPro.  The product has mature green papaya powder as key ingredient, with the most active enzyme being Papain. Papain has a unique digestive formula and is expressly powerful as compared to pancreatin or even the pancreatic enzymes. It is not affected by changes in the intestinal pH and can work equally in both alkaline and acidic conditions. It is highly aggressive when taken in an empty stomach and will work more than the pancreatic enzymes in its attacking and destroying of the cancer tumor.

The Citrus Pectin enzyme also found in the PapayaPro has an even more unique ability, it can prevent the spread of cancer cells (metastasis). Their molecules enter the blood and confuse cancer cells for lectin (cancer protein). As a result, the tumors are prevented from being able to attach to other body parts to start new cancer colonies. This has been supported by a number of studies.

AwareMed recommends the use of enzyme supplements to boost the body immunity and help fight cancer. More information can be obtained by contacting our doctors at AwareMed.

Enzymes and Contribution in Cancer Treatment

 

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Wrong Food Causes Joint Pain

December 6, 2014

Wrong Food Causes Joint Pain

Joint pain is a common complaint among many people. It not only slows you down but causes a
lot of discomfort. It can be caused by injury or disease. It is estimated that over 50 million Americans today are affected by joint pain. A joint refers to an area where two bones meet. These bones are separated by cartilages. The fact of the matter is that joint pain is no longer a disease of the old folks.

Joint pain has been linked to conditions such as arthritis, gout especially of the big toe, bursitis, and muscle pain. Other cause of joint pain include viral infections, fractures, overuse or straining of the joints, rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis which is simply bone infections among others. Joint pain can affect more than one joint at a time. The most common complaints of joint pain are within the hip and shoulder region. However, it can affect any part of your body.

Joint pain can range from mild to very severe pain. It can last from a few days or even go on for several months a condition called chronic joint pain. Whether mild or severe the fact is that, joint pain can affect the quality of your life.

 

The most common cause of joint pain among a given number of populations is arthritis. It is a disorder of the joints that is caused by an inflammation on the joints. Patients with arthritis complain of pain on the affected joint. Other causative factors of arthritis may be straining of the joint, wear and tear of the muscle tendons of the joints, or fatigue.

Apart from the causes mentioned above, eating the wrong foods can also lead to joint pain. Research has shown that certain type of foods contribute to painful joints.

The Diet Question: Gluten

Eating the wrong diet may lead you to develop joint pain. Studies have shown that eating foods rich in gluten can cause inflammation. This inflammation is what causes pain especially on the knees and joints. You may experience actual physical pain in these areas. The joints especially are the ones highly likely to be affected by inflammation.

The most common source of gluten is wheat flour. Others are barley, rye and other foods made with these grains and any foods made with these grains.

Of the available sources of gluten, wheat is the most common that finds it way in most of our diets. Avoiding wheat may prove very difficult to most of us. This is because it would mean avoiding all those delicacies made from wheat flour. Am talking about pasta, bread, cookies, cakes, muffins, pastries, crackers, gravy, sauces, cereal and the list is endless. Beer is also a source of gluten.

joint-pain

You may have experienced pain in the joints at one time. What comes to our minds when that happens is that we are doing too much work or probably taking those many stairs to your office every day may be causing the pain. Well, this may be true since joint strain may eventually lead to joint pain. Past studies have shown that our diet is the main cause of most of the health problems we experience. This is not different from joint pain and the major cause of joint pain has its root with the gluten diet.

Going off gluten may prove next to impossible to most of us. This is because it is in all the good foods out there. But if something affects your health the best thing to do is cut it out.

Additional Facts about Joint Pain: Leaky Gut Syndrome

Digestive problems affect a number of people. Ever heard of leaky gut syndrome? The gut plays a major role in your overall health and well-being. When food is not being digested properly, it can lead to all kinds of unimaginable problems. For one, foods may fail to be properly digested. This would mean that little or no nutrients will be absorbed into the blood stream. When this happens, the body is derived of the essential nutrients it requires to stay healthy.

Leaky gut syndrome is a medical condition that affects the intestinal linings. It occurs when the permeability of the intestinal walls is increased. Due to this increased permeability, large molecules, antigens and toxins are allowed into the blood stream. These lead to inflammation.

The inflammation of the lining of the intestines leads to destruction of microvilli. Microvilli serve a critical role of absorption and controlling what is absorbed by the blood and what will become waste. The damage of the microvilli prevent them from generating enzymes and other gut secretions which are required for the overall health of the digestive system and efficient absorption of nutrients.joint-pain

When this happens bacterial imbalance occurs in the gut. Normally our bodies have bacteria, some useful others harmful. Proper functioning of the digestive system creates a symbiotic relationship between these bacteria. When the permeability of the intestinal wall is destroyed this balance is offset. Pathogenic bacteria increase in the gut and it renders the useful bacteria completely useless. This imbalance is what leads to leaky gut syndrome.

Antibiotics, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and pesticides are the major causes of leaky gut syndrome. A lot of foods that we take are grown with artificial fertilizers. These harbor a lot of toxins in the foods which are later taken in our body system. These toxins when they reach the gut end up destroying the lining of the gut leading to leaky gut syndrome.

Leaky gut syndrome has been associated with diseases such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, acne, eczema, liver dysfunctions among others.

Just like gluten can cause inflammation leading to joint pain, leaky gut syndrome can also be a causative factor for aching joints. The best way to prevent leaky gut syndrome is by properly washing all fresh vegetables and food before cooking and eating.

At AwareMed we not only inform you about the causes of joint pain but we tell how you need to live in order to avoid it!

Wrong Food Causes Joint Pain

 

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Workaholism-An Addiction Or A Quality To Be Appreciated?

December 4, 2014

Is Workaholism An Addiction Or A Quality To Be Appreciated?

workaholismNo company would be willing to employ a lazy bone, someone who will not take his work seriously, takes the least time at work and yields too little, very social but not very committed to the staff goals and objectives. Such a person has no place in the employment world. Every company would be willing to employ people who are committed to the company goals and can go an extra mile like working overtime when need be for the benefit of the company, somebody whose work helps the company to achieve great milestones and increases the output of the company. However we need to know where the boundary lies as there are people who will spend all their time in the workplace ignoring the other facets of life, they are engraved in the jobs they do so much that they become synonymous to their offices, they spend most of their lifetime working and they seem not know when to stop working and attend to their other facets of life- the workaholics.

What is Workaholism?

This refers to compulsiveness about working; a person who is subject to workaholism is referred to a workaholic. He cares more for work than any other thing to him he will work even if what he is doing is unnecessary, life without work means no sense to him. Workaholism is something that has not been addressed well and so many people who are suffering from this situation may be blinded by mere congratulations that they receive by bosses who might be aware these people’s relationship with work is abnormal. In fact the workaholics are exploited at the expense of their own social lives, they suffer broken families and some do not even marry as they are always at work and do not even attend social events where they could meet their potential spouses. Workaholics can only be good employees but are very poor in parenting and so are mostly involved in family feuds. Workaholism involves excessive time spent working, preoccupation with work to the exclusion of other life facets, loss of control over the parameters of one’s work and disenchantment with work, and negative social, emotional, and health consequences. The etiology of workaholism is not clear but may pertain to persons with compulsive personality traits, who are driven to work harder than that demanded from work contexts, and who have learned to place work as a main means of gratification compared to other lifestyle alternatives. As they spend most of their time occupied with work seeking gratification through work they may become affected health wise and so there is need for workaholics to professional help.

Is it an Addiction or a Quality to be appreciated?

Work addiction unlike other addictive life practices like sex, drug use and even gambling is little understood. There is scarcity of literature on the issue of work addiction and therefore a gap for those seeking to know more about workaholism. The subject of workaholism or addiction to work has been debated and still is being debated as to whether it is a quality to be appreciated or a serious problem that needs professional help. While many employers have viewed workaholics as a productive people workaholism has been linked to some issues both socially and as a family. In one study it was found that workaholics burden their children with roles as they are mostly away working and cannot accomplish most of their responsibilities, their children therefore begin their parental roles much younger and when they are still incapable to handle such stuff. Some of the problems that are associated with work addiction include the following.

Frustration and agitation

Just like any other person chained to other addictive behaviors a person who is addicted to work will suffer when they are forced to stop working even for just a day. They will be agitated and frustrated as work has become their only source of measuring success. It is therefore clear that workaholism is just another addiction that should be addressed just as much as drug addiction and other addictive behaviors like gambling. The fact that there is no law that workaholics break by overworking has only made matters worse for families of these people.

Low energy levels

Workaholics suffer  low energy levels as they always have work that never stops spilling over to other aspects of their lives, workaholics can stop doing other healthy practices like exercise and good nutrition just to continue working and can lead to other health issues like obesity and even increased risk to other diseases some symptoms that have been seen in workaholic include; sleep disorders, weight gain , role conflicts with fellow workers , taking sick-leave , high blood pressure, anxiety and depression and physical pain that may be caused by strain in the body muscles. These people lack control of their work and are overcommitted therefore leading to emotional exhaustion.

Workaholism

Conflict both at work and home

Workaholics are not very social people. They do not value relationships and hence spend most of their time away from their families therefore they create a gap that they ought to fill as parents- spending time with those who depend on them. This often results in conflict that may even cause a breakup between a man and his wife. Needless to mention children of workaholics grow up craving for parental love as most of the time their workaholic parent will be away from them. At work their over commitment nature will always create a gap between him and other employees as he is always in a hurry trying to accomplish a lot therefore will not have time for lunch break charts and grapevine engagements that work well in creating a bonded work family.

Finally, the topic of work addiction has attracted lots of debate but still there is little literature on this issue but from the negative aspects associated with it, it is clear that it is not really profitable to a worker. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict chained to any behavior. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

Is Workaholism An Addiction Or A Quality To Be Appreciated?

 

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Drug Abuse in South Africa at Alarming Levels

December 3, 2014

The Magnitude of Drug Abuse in South Africa

South Africa is experiencing a rise in drugs abuse. In recent years the trend in alcohol abuse as well as other drugs has been alarming. Alcohol is still the primary drug of abuse and use is rising every day. In 2011 the world health organization (WHO) reported that South Africa has the highest per capita consumption rates in the world of alcohol in the world and it is quite insane that the rate is continuing to rise. In South Africa the citizens consume in excess of 5 billion litres of alcohol annually but this figure is likely to be higher still if sorghum beer is included, and equates to 9 – 10 litres of pure alcohol per person. Despite alcohol being the primary drug of abuse there are other drugs that are used by the South Africans as well. These drugs include Methaqualone (Quaaludes), cocaine, marijuana popularly known as dagga in South Africa, and heroin are all drugs that are becoming increasingly popular in the cities of South Africa.

There have been drastic political changes in  South Africa  that have been accompanied by social transitioning, rapid modernization, high unemployment rates, and a decline in social, cultural, and family values. As a result, drug use has flourished and new environments, such as night clubs, that promote drug use have been created. These environments appear especially promising for adolescents and young adults looking for an escape. It is in these places that drugs look cool and casual sex is acceptable. Unfortunately, these places are a haven for heavy drug abuse and diseases; such as, HIV and AIDS. Needless to mention, South Africa has become a major country involved in international drug trafficking networks over the past decade. Experts have agreed that it is becoming harder and harder to deal with the explosion of the drug trade and it links are becoming increasingly complex to tame.

South Africa

Here are statistics of the most abused drugs in South Africa over the past years. These statistics are from the World Health Organization (WHO). However there might be some changes on the statistics as the use of drugs of abuse in South Africa is increasing at such a rapid rate.

South Africa drugs of abuse stats according to WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that drug consumption in South Africa is twice the world norm. It is saddening to note that 15% of South Africa’s population has a drug problem. The cost associated with drug abuse is crippling the South Africa’s economy. This is evident as the country spends R20-billion a year and could pose a bigger threat to the country’s future than the Aids pandemic. According to SAPS figures, 60 percent of crimes nationally were related to substance abuse, this shows the cost of drugs of abuse in relation to the social ills they cause. Just as it happens everywhere, addicts will go through all odds to afford the drugs they have become dependent on and crime is the immediate step the youths take to buy their daily dosage of these drugs. In the Western Cape, the figure was closer to 80 percent that shows that Western Cape is the most affected area.  The perpetrators of these crimes are either under the influence of substances, or trying to secure money for their next fix. The use of drugs has also increased prostitution as most of the prostitutes have to sleep with 10-15 men daily to find enough money to buy their drugs of abuse.

 SANAB disbanded

The use of drugs and related crimes have increased greatly, by 30% to be exact after the government disbanded   SA Narcotics Bureau (SANAB) which was  a dedicated drug-fighting unit within the SAPS that had achieved some notable successes. The SANAB was disbanded in 2004 and no other body has sprung to fill the vacuum.

Recently the United Nations World Drug Report had named South Africa as one of the drug capitals of the world. The abuse of alcohol and usage of dagga has led to the country to being one of the top ten narcotics and alcohol abusers in the world. The CDA also reports that one Rand in four in circulation in South Africa is linked to the substance abuse problem. CDA is a drug control organization. The increase in drugs use is also evident in the increase of number of drug arrests from a mere 300 in 2006 to a staggering 1500 in 2012 in Cape Town.

Teenagers are not left out

The CDA reports that alcohol use is common in school kids and most kids who are involved in alcohol abuse are involved in violent crimes 3 times more than kids that are not involved in drug abuse.

South Africa

It also points at the increase in drug use among teens.  As from 1992 – 95 the use of drugs among teenagers increased by 600%. But the figure is still increasing as evident in 2007 when it stood 1100%.  Most kids begin using drugs of abuse at the age of twelve, the CDA report of 2009 revealed that schools have become a target for drug dealers.

A part from alcohol drugs that are widely abused in SA include;

Methamphetamine (Tik)

  • Crack
  • Heroine
  • Cocaine
  • Mandrax
  • Dagga
  • Ecstasy

Finally, We at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

The Magnitude of Drug Abuse in South Africa

 

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Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

December 2, 2014

How to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

Substance abuse and HIV/AIDs are major problems that the urban minority youth have to face daily. Substance abuse among the urban minority youths has been linked to many societal ills including theft and robbery, the urban youth minority that are involved in substance abuse face some of the toughest life choices especially after becoming dependent on the drugs of abuse . once they have got dependent on the drugs of abuse they will find it hard to supplement most of their daily needs as in most cases drug addicts are avoided by employers, once jobless and the heightening cravings for the substances of abuse they will turn to some other ways of finding their daily supply of the drugs that they use. Turning to robbery has become one of the immediate choices that they bump into and hence they become a problem that the whole society suffers from. In most cases the youths may be felled by police bullets while escaping from crime scenes and some who are lucky will be sent to rehabilitation centers and that in itself affects the economy of a country as the country will spend more on these centers sometimes having to forego other expenses just to cater for the youths.

The biggest problem with the urban minority youths is their environment. Most of the people they interact with especially through the media lead lives of drug abuse, most of these youths are driven by their love for certain genres, they therefore idolize such artists so much that they will want to lead a life like theirs, this is a great problem having drug users as role models therefore there is need for educating the youths to stay away from drug use through the use of messages that may be sent through broadcast media such as radio and television. The urban minority youths needs to access relevant information that may help them stay away from drug abuse.

HIV and Youth Statistics

The urban minority youths are also involved in active sex. In most cases these youths do not get serious with their relationships, these relationships are sex based and having one night stands with different women is something that these youths take pride of. It is the involvement of these youths with multiple sexual partners that put them at high risk of contacting HIV/AIDS.  The urban minority youths need access to drug abuse and HIV/AIDS preventing messages in their immediate environment. Painting walls and having these messages artistically inscribed on the walls can be a good way to market this ideology and help the youths know of the dangers of drug abuse and involving oneself in risky sexual behaviors such us having multiple sexual partners. Other ways that can help these youths to stay away from drug abuse and HIV/AIDS may include:

Evidence-based prevention protocols

In a research study done to assess whether evidence-based prevention protocols could positively influence substance abuse and HIV/AIDS knowledge and reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors among urban minority youth by the by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) dubbed Be Proud! Be Responsible! CASASTART; Focus on Youth; and Street Smart. This research study that involved sessions comprised of six, 50-minute modules that incorporated role-plays, discussions, and multimedia formats to actively educate and engage youth in prevention activities.

This study used the National Minority Substance Abuse / HIV Prevention Initiative Cohort 7 Youth Questionnaire. The National Minority Substance Abuse / HIV Prevention Initiative Cohort 7 Youth Questionnaire was developed by CSAP as part of a national cross site evaluation of all Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) funded programs throughout the United States. Sexual risk behavior served as the outcome variable, with the following ten predictors being assessed for the study: disapproval / alcohol use, school importance, delinquency/crime, disapproval / tobacco use, disapproval / marijuana use, illicit drug use, stress- related alcohol and drug use, HIV/AIDS knowledge, HIV/AIDS testing, and negative peer attitudes.

The findings of the study showed changes in pre and posttest measures which revealed that participants who were at heightened risk were also more inclined to get tested for HIV/AIDS after receiving the intervention (95% confidence level). At posttest, an increase in HIV/AIDS knowledge seemed to have a buffering effect against risky sexual behaviors. Additionally, participants who thought of school more favorably were less likely to engage in sexual risk taking behaviors at posttest (95% confidence level). This study therefore showed the importance of educating the urban minority youths and creating awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS as paramount to fighting these two vices in the urban minority youths.  The intervention used the pretest-posttest design and worked with four urban high schools and five summer camp programs located in the Northeastern United States having a total of 653 African American and Hispanic/Latino youth, ranging in ages from 13 to 18.

hiv

Promoting Talent

The youths have talents that need to be exploited in a bid to find avenues though which the drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages can be spread. Apart from using their talents as a media through which this message reach many people it also keeps them occupied and gives them a reason to focus more in their own developments other than indulging in drug abuse and risky sexual behaviors.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict chained to any behavior. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

How to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

 

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